
One of the main reasons why the department is converting the ID system to smart ID cards, is to prevent fraud with ID documents. The Department of Home Affairs in a statement made it clear that the green barcoded ID books remain a legal form of identification and will remain thusly until such a time that the Live Capture System has been rolled out at all offices of the department to therefore allow South Africans to apply for smart ID cards at their nearest offices. Worldwide recently reported that the Department of Home Affairs have no immediate plans to halt the green barcoded identity books (ID books).
